Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jan 09, 2020 12:47 am Hello It may be a tad late for any major changes (we've just been given DA), but I thought I might get some feedback on things we can still change - before I sign my life away in years of mortgage repayments! We're building in WA, 'inner city fringe' , front of house is west facing. City glimpses to the south. We are two adults and one child. Fo some unknown reason I am obsessed with the doors in my home - so the doors will be different to those on the plan. Our bedrooms and bathroom (downstairs) will have a concealed floor to almost ceiling sliding door; and our wardrobes will be ceiling mounted sliding doors. The kitchen we are installing 'ourselves' (that is getting someone other than the builder to do it). It'll be pretty much the whole northside of the upstairs area. I know you will probably say I am insane, but we are using an Ikea carcass with bespoke solid oak fronts. We're having a 'farmhouse' table as an island. Our west facing window seat will also be Ikea... We will also install our 'laundry-cum kitchenette-in-the-bathroom' 'ourselves' again - and again we will be using Ikea carcass with bespoke fronts (this time just laminate). I have an integrated washer and an integrated bar fridge (why oh why can't we get those here...) that we have already imported from the UK, so the 'laundry' in the bathroom will be completely behind closed doors. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Plan Feedback please! 4Jan 10, 2020 10:31 am I love the roof terrace, great idea. I'm confused about your downstairs bathroom arrangement though. You called your laundry a laundry cum kitchenette, and yet the laundry is open to the toilet? Maybe you could consider closing off the toilet with a door? Re: Plan Feedback please! 5Jan 10, 2020 10:49 am Interesting plan. I'm all for building a house to suit your needs, but it seems like a lot of house for essentially 2 bedrooms.to late to change that now. I agree with Amilelka about the idea of kitchenette in the laundry/bathroom. One thing I would do is remove all the doors and frames from your robes in the bedroom and WIR. I noticed your other post regarding doors. Just leave openings and build in cabinetry for the robes. It will look much nicer and be far more versatile than having doors (sliding or swing) with cabinetry behind. The last thing I'd say, don't use IKEA carcasses. If you are going to the trouble of having custom oak doors don't skimp on the carcass and hardware. It's tempting to try and save money, but believe me, in the long run it will cost you. Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Plan Feedback please! 7Jan 10, 2020 11:50 am I am with what the others have said. A lot of house for just 2 bedrooms, I agree with Chipy on the WIR it will just be another room with cupboards??? I would have also maybe placed a door from the theatre to the ensuite then at least it could have become a 3rd bedroom. I bet you had some heated discussions with the draftsperson and left him scratching his head!! I also would have seperated the master ensuite from the WIR by relocating the door. Also the downstairs bathroom if someone is using the toilet and you want to get to the laundry?? Re: Plan Feedback please! 8Jan 10, 2020 1:16 pm Surely you wouldn’t save money by installing the kitchen yourself? Unless you were a cabinet maker, which if your buying ikea you aren’t, i cant see any value in putting a cheap kitchen into what looks like an expensive house. Re: Plan Feedback please! 9Jan 10, 2020 2:44 pm Are you building with the ability to subdivide your block at some point in the future? What area? Obviously slightly north somewhere, by the look of the stamp on the plan I'm guessing COS? Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Plan Feedback please! 10Jan 10, 2020 11:22 pm Thanks everyone! I had not considered separating the Master WIR from the ensuite - good plan. Also I am going to think hard about the cupboards - I like the idea of removing all doors and frames... The Home Theatre is technically another bedroom - that's what the original plan had anyway and I was actually convinced to retain the ensuite so it could actually be a bedroom in the future (I was going to have a cooks pantry). I think I may have asked the builder to put a door from the 'home theatre' to the ensuite and they couldn't for some reason, but I will ask again (maybe I talked them out of it - yes, there was a lot of scratching of heads going on - but mostly about my imported bricks - but that's another story...) The kitchenette cum laundry - I know it's not common here but we had one simililarly set up in another house we lived in and loved it. Perhaps 'kitchenette' is too grand a word - it's really only a bar fridge with room for glasses. The washer and bar fridge are all integrated so the whole lot will be behind cabinetry. And we're not a family who are big on privacy... As to the two bedroom - well, really it is three - but yes, they are going to roll me out on a stretcher. I didn't have quite enough cash to cover a lift, so it's not totally future proof, but if there comes a point where I am not able to get up the stairs then the plan actually is for me to live in the Master down stairs and use the bedroom as a living area; and the WIR as a bedroom (of course, there will only be one of me by then...or one of him, whichever can no longer cope with the mortgage first!). The child will be upstairs doing the cooking...and washing... ...she'll probably hate me and move to Bermuda. As to the Ikea kitchen. I know. You can tell me I told you so. But the custom oak fronts are not really 'custom' as such. They are from a company like 'Superfront' who do solid oak doors specifically for Ikea carcasses. And there is a beautifully expensive, architecturally designed house down the road that also used Ikea and has not looked back. And yes, Chippy, how did you know, you've described us down to a T. We are subdividing - we're keeping 2/3 and selling 1/3. We're building such that if we run in to trouble we can sell our other third. We're currently on that third in a granny flat we built last year. Great prefab build - we love it. Evoke, out of Northam. Wanna buy a 1/3 so you can be right next door when my Ikea collapses? Re: Plan Feedback please! 11Jan 10, 2020 11:42 pm Designing a house is always a balancing act. I think you should always design for what you need and based on how you live now and into the future. I see so many people build houses based on the latest trend, or simply because that's what everyone else is building without thinking what they actually need. I guess I always have that niggling thought about resale when I design so try and find a good balance. Good on you for thinking about what you actually want out of a house and going with it. I could tell you were allowing for subdivision because of the placement on the block. The only logical reason was to allow for a driveway down the side. From your description I'd be thinking Joondanna or Yokine. Both nice suburbs. I'm in Yokine myself and have just finished my own build so I'm not chasing a block at the moment but thanks for the offer.😁 Accessible Carpentry & Cabinets accessiblecarpentry@gmail.com accessiblecarpentry.com.au https://www.facebook.com/pages/Accessible-Carpentry-Cabinets/583314911709039 Re: Plan Feedback please! 12Jan 11, 2020 1:31 am chippy Designing a house is always a balancing act. I think you should always design for what you need and based on how you live now and into the future. I see so many people build houses based on the latest trend, or simply because that's what everyone else is building without thinking what they actually need. I guess I always have that niggling thought about resale when I design so try and find a good balance. Good on you for thinking about what you actually want out of a house and going with it. I could tell you were allowing for subdivision because of the placement on the block. The only logical reason was to allow for a driveway down the side. From your description I'd be thinking Joondanna or Yokine. Both nice suburbs. I'm in Yokine myself and have just finished my own build so I'm not chasing a block at the moment but thanks for the offer.😁 Ha! Logic - that went out the window with the bricks and cabinet pulls from the US; integrated appliances from the UK; Roman bath; no laundry; and painting floorboards black... I always like a plan b and I’m a tad risk averse and the house is costing a motza - so possible future subdivision it is. It’s causing Stirling to have a conniption, but in the meantime the ‘driveway’ will be a lovely garden for the granny flat. On the other hand, I will be able to wave in your direction from my roof deck next Australia Day... or the one after...just gotta find a buyer for a lovely block...in Joondanna! (I grew up in the ‘bad side’ of Yokine - haven’t moved far). Re: Plan Feedback please! 13Jan 13, 2020 10:15 am With city glimpses to the South, would it be worthwhile to make the area between the stairs and Ens 2 a stacker slider door to a small balcony area, so the kitchen could be opened up to the view? The roof terrace also seems to be on the wrong side for the view? If it were me, I would reconfigure the downstairs bathroom/laundry as most of the space is taken up by the toilet. I would have the wall of laundry/kitchenette along the passageway (external) with the bathroom in behind it and use the wall opposite to access a little courtyard (below the balcony above). Definitely try to add access to Ens 2 from the Home Theatre because when used as a bedroom you don't want to have to go through the kitchen to get to the toilet/shower. P.S I love Ikea! Re: Plan Feedback please! 14Jan 16, 2020 4:41 pm Possums With city glimpses to the South, would it be worthwhile to make the area between the stairs and Ens 2 a stacker slider door to a small balcony area, so the kitchen could be opened up to the view? The roof terrace also seems to be on the wrong side for the view? If it were me, I would reconfigure the downstairs bathroom/laundry as most of the space is taken up by the toilet. I would have the wall of laundry/kitchenette along the passageway (external) with the bathroom in behind it and use the wall opposite to access a little courtyard (below the balcony above). Definitely try to add access to Ens 2 from the Home Theatre because when used as a bedroom you don't want to have to go through the kitchen to get to the toilet/shower. P.S I love Ikea! Ok so I am now totally seeing the incredible value this forum brings! I think it’s a tad late to make some of these changes, but I do wish I had thought of the balcony one. That would have been a good idea... Have just asked for the extra door - will see what they say. They are already feeling a bit challenged by my demands but are bearing up with good grace! The Ikea is a stayer! Hi there! Absolutely agree on the wasted space. We have no desire for the master to be that oversized, but it occurred when we increased the depth of the garage. We have… 4 12484 6 55311 |